“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”  Earlier this week, Niagara Falls City Council voted against granting the Turtle building a historic landmark designation. The defeat was devastating to the Buffalo outliers behind the “preservation” movement, led by Carl Skompinski and Bernice Radle. SupportersRead More

Solid Waste Management needs the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act by John Szalasny Member, Executive Committee Niagara Group of the Sierra Club ******************************************************************************************************************************** Seneca Meadows is the largest landfill in New York State, about a two-hour drive away from the Republic Services Niagara Falls landfill.  With the facility scheduledRead More

By Tony Farina Chairman and CEO Henry Wojtaszek announced on Tuesday that it was another record week and weekend at Batavia Downs Gaming, fueled by a suite-stakes promotion where hockey and concert tickets were given away, gift card drawings on Saturday night, and the Legends and Stars Sports Collectors ExpoRead More

Niagara Falls, NY – During a meeting on Feb. 1, Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Commission members voted to designate the long-vacant Turtle building as a historic landmark. Niagara Falls Redevelopment, a private company, owns the domed building with a large concrete head and legs that are supposed to represent aRead More

By Tony Farina City & State New York is once again highlighting New York’s political power couples in honor of Valentine’s Day and among the select group chosen are a couple from Western New York who certainly are deserving of the recognition. Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO of the highlyRead More

By Roger Trevino Unfortunately, the Niagara Gazette’s article on Friday regarding the Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Commission supporting efforts to designate the Turtle building as an historic landmark leaves out some important facts. First, while the Turtle building is approximately 42 years old, it was only in operation as theRead More

By Tony Farina Beatlemania Magic at Batavia Downs Gaming Beatlemania Magic will be front at center at Batavia Downs Gaming on Friday, Feb. 9, beginning at 7:30 p.m., with general admission tickets at $15 that include a $10 in free play. For all of us who remember and were excitedRead More

Cultural appropriation is at the heart of the City’s looming dispute and may cost taxpayers millions. A dome-shaped building on the edge of Niagara Falls State Park, commonly called “The Turtle,” is at the center of potential litigation involving the City of Niagara Falls and the property’s owners. The disputeRead More

By Tony Farina “There goes another legend,” commented noted Buffalo defense attorney Joel Daniels when he heard of the passing of Niagara Falls plumbing contractor John Gross who died unexpectedly last Monday, Dec. 19, at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, at the age of 87. John Gross served two different jailRead More

WROTB Revenue Helps Support Local Communities By Tony Farina The Christmas spirit has arrived and there will be a very special holiday event at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda on Wednesday night, Dec. 13, at 7 when Batavia Downs sponsors a screening of the 1947 Christmas Classic “Miracle onRead More

Governor Kathy Hochul last week announced that applications are available for the Niagara Falls Small Business Property Improvement Program. The $5 million program will provide grants of up to 50 percent of total project costs, up to $100,000 per property, to eligible small businesses to foster revitalization of traditional mixed-useRead More

By Tony Farina Former State Attorney General Dennis Vacco of the Buffalo law firm of Lippes Mathias, is still awaiting responses from the state on the lawsuit he filed in September on behalf of several member counties challenging the language in the state budget in May that, in Vacco’s words,Read More

Comedian Ernie Bivins, AKA “Black Ernie,” is making a name for himself in Las Vegas. “I’m 49, but I feel like I’m 29!” Jokes the Niagara Falls Native, whose career began here in his hometown in 2008. “I was doing shows for a few years and then I met MikeRead More

By Brandon M. Stickney “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson For a time, human rights activist Malcolm X meant trouble for young Carlton “Carl” Cain. Malcolm’s autobiography, co-authored by Alex Haley, was nearly 500Read More

By Dennis Elsenbeck I have lived and worked in Western New York for decades now. Many in the area know me from the nearly 30 years I spent at Niagara Mohawk and National Grid (culminating in the position of regional director for Western New York), or from my role onRead More

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — “Everyone should have a doula,” noted one mother who birthed with a doula from the Every Woman & Child Counts project. New York State lawmakers agree. Recently approved in the New York State budget, doulas across New York State may begin to certify as Medicaid providersRead More

Anti Gun Violence Rally, October 7, 2023, 12-4pm, Trinity Baptist Church

Now is your chance to be seen on national television at The Book Corner, a three story high family-owned local book store owned by Jeff Morrow. “We’re celebrating 96 years of business,” says Morrow. On Saturday, September 23rd, Buffalo-based television series Off-Beat Cinema will be filming live at The BookRead More

Niagara Falls, NY: In the early morning of September 9, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center (NFMMC) stepped up as an oasis of hope for a pregnant Nigerian asylum-seeker and her family, who had been turned away at the Canadian border. This dramatic incident highlighted community hospitals’ indispensable role in addressing unplannedRead More

One of the most common statements that I hear from members of our community is that “Niagara Falls needs younger leaders.” It’s true – we need new blood, new ideas and youthful energy to lead the rebranding of our community. To understand how this can work, one only need lookRead More